1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a password management method and apparatus used for a computer system having a password registering/checking function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, laptop type computer systems, reduced in size and weight in consideration of portability, have been widely used as personal computer systems. In addition, computer systems which are further reduced in size and weight and hence have higher portability than the laptop type computer systems have been developed and put into practice. In computer systems of this type, data, commands, and the like are input by using special pens, tablets, and the like instead of using keyboards as in the conventional systems. Therefore, such a computer system may be called a pen input type computer system.
In such a computer system, a password is registered in consideration of confidentiality. More specifically, when this system is to be used, a user inputs a password to the system. In the system, the input password is compared with the registered password. If the two passwords coincide with each other, the system is activated.
Therefore, once a password is registered in the computer system having such a password registering function, the system cannot be started afterward unless the user inputs the same password as that registered, when the system is powered on. If, for example, the user forgets the password after it is registered in the system, the system cannot be started unless the same password as that registered is input to the system.
In such a case, the system can be started by canceling the password registered in the system. However, in a system capable of registering a password, in order to realize a highly reliable security mechanism, the registered password cannot be easily canceled.
In a conventional system, a registered password is canceled in the following manner. The system main body is disassembled, and the application of a voltage from a battery backup circuit to an RTC (real time clock) memory, which is backed up by a battery and serves to store the password, is interrupted to cause a bad battery error state. With this operation, information including the password is erased. Alternatively, a special jig is used to form a special circuit so as to erase retained information including the password. As described, in either case, a special technique and a special operation are required, and much time and labor are required.
It is, therefore, difficult for general users to cancel passwords registered in systems. That is, cancellation of a password must be performed by an expert with special knowledge and skill associated with the system.
Under the circumstances, demands have arisen for a password management apparatus, in a computer system having a password registering/canceling function, which can manage a password to allow a proper user to start the system, even if the user forgets the password, by supporting a recording medium such as a floppy disk or a memory card for password cancellation.